Tank for heat exchanger

ABSTRACT

A base member has crimped portions each being bent along a lateral side of a tank member and crimped on the lateral side. The crimped portions are configured to be latched on recesses of the lateral side or protrusions of the lateral side, respectively.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a tank for a heat exchanger.

BACKGROUND

A known heat exchanger, such as a radiator, has a radiator core including tubes and fins, which are alternately stacked in its vertical direction. Such a radiator core is interposed between side tanks in its lateral direction. The side tank includes a tank member and a base member (core plate), which are assembled together to define an inner cavity to flow a thermal medium therethrough.

Conventionally, the tank member is mated with the base member to interpose a sealing member therebetween, and subsequently, the tank member is pressed onto the base member while compressing the seal member. The base member is further crimped to the tank member at a crimped portion and secured to the tank member.

In such a configuration, when the radiator is applied with a high internal pressure, the crimped portion of the base member may be bent back to cause a gap to leak thermal medium therethrough.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure addresses the above-described concerns.

According to an aspect of the preset disclosure, a tank for a heat exchanger comprises a tank member. The tank further comprises a base member having a plurality of crimped portions each being bent along a lateral side of the tank member and crimped on the lateral side. The crimped portions are configured to be latched on a plurality of recesses of the lateral side or a plurality of protrusions of the lateral side, respectively.

According to another aspect of the preset disclosure, a tank for a heat exchanger comprises a tank member having a lateral side. The tank further comprises a base member having a crimped portion being bent circumferentially along the lateral side and crimped on the lateral side. The crimped portion is substantially in a T-shape and has a crimped body and crimped tabs. The crimped tabs extend from an end of the crimped body in opposite directions. The lateral side has a plurality of recesses each defining a tank-side latch surface, which is substantially flat. Each of the crimped tabs has a base-side latch surface, which is substantially flat and faced to the tank-side latch surface.

According to another aspect of the preset disclosure, a tank for a heat exchanger comprises a tank member having a lateral side. The tank further comprises a base member having a crimped portion being bent circumferentially along the lateral side and crimped on the lateral side. The crimped portion is substantially in a T-shape and has a crimped body and crimped tabs. The crimped tabs extend from an end of the crimped body in opposite directions. The lateral side has a plurality of protrusions each defining a tank-side latch surface, which is substantially flat. Each of the crimped tabs has a base-side latch surface, which is substantially flat and faced to the tank-side latch surface.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a tank constructed of a tank member and a base member, according to a first embodiment;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a heat exchanger including the tank according to the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a perspective sectional view taken along the line III, IV-III, IV in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line III, IV-III, IV in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view showing a tank according to a comparative example;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view showing a tank constructed of a tank member and a base member, according to a second embodiment; and

FIG. 7 is a perspective sectional view taken along the line VII-VII in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION First Embodiment

As follows, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 1 shows a tank 1 including a tank member 10 and a base member (core plate) 60.

The tank member 10 may be formed of a resin material, such as glass-filled nylon by injection molding, or may be formed of a metallic material such as an aluminum alloy by die-casting or press working. The tank member 10 has a tank portion 20 and a lateral side (foot portion) 30. The tank portion 20 is hollow and has a trapezoidal cross section relative to a longitudinal axis 50.

The base member 60 is formed of a metallic material such as an aluminum alloy by die-casting or press working. The base member 60 has a base portion 70 and a crimped portion 80. The base portion 70 is dented toward the tank portion 20. The base portion 70 has multiple openings 74 each being in a chamfered rectangular shape. The base portion 70 has a bottom surface adhered with a seal member 90 having an oval cross section. The seal member 90 is an elastic member formed of an elastomer such as rubber. The seal member 90 is in a planar O-shape, when being viewed from the upper side in FIG. 1, to have a center opening. The tank member 10 has a rib 22 at a bottom surface of the lateral side 30. The rib 22 is substantially in an O-shape correspondingly to the seal member 90. The rib 22 is faced to the seal member 90. The base portion 70 internally defines a cavity, which communicates with the openings 74 through the center opening of the seal member 90.

The base member 60 has multiple crimped portions 80 arranged along the longitudinal axis 50. Each of the crimped portions 80 is substantially in a T-shape when being viewed from the lateral side 30 of the base member 60. The crimped portion 80 has a crimped body 82 and crimped tabs 86. The crimped portion 80 is bent at the crimped body 82 circumferentially along the outer periphery of the lateral side 30 of the tank member 10. Thus, the crimped portion 80 is crimped on a crimped surface 32 of the lateral side 30 on the upper side in FIG. 1.

The lateral side 30 of the tank member 10 has multiple recesses 36 arranged along the lateral side 30. Each of the recesses 36 is dented inward from the crimped surface 32.

The crimped tabs 86 extend in opposite directions along the longitudinal axis 50. Each of the crimped tab 86 is bent relative to the crimped body 82 substantially at a right angle. The crimped tab 86 is bent into the recess 36 and thereby being crimped on the recess 36.

The tank 1 is manufactured in a manner as follows. First, the tank member 10 is stacked on the base member 60, which is adhered with the seal member 90 in advance. The stacked tank member 10 is further urged toward the base member 60 to cause the rib 22 to press the seal member 90 securely. Subsequently, the T-shaped crimped portions 80 are bent at the crimped body 82. Specifically, the crimped portion 80 on the uppermost side in FIG. 1 is first bent. Subsequently, the crimped portion 80 on the secondly upper side in FIG. 1 is bent. In this way, the crimped portions 80 are bent one by one sequentially along the longitudinal axis 50. Thus, the crimped portions 80 are sequentially crimped on the crimped surface 32 of the lateral side 30 of the base member 60. Further, the crimped tabs 86 are bent and crimped into the recess 36.

As shown in FIG. 2, two of the tanks 1 constructed as described above are further assembled with tubes 2 and fins 3 to construct the heat exchanger 500. In the present configuration, the tubes 2 are coupled to the openings 74 of the base member 60, respectively, to be communicated with the inner cavity of each tank 1. Thus, the present configuration forms multiple passages to communicate a thermal medium between inner passages of the tubes 2 with the inner cavity of each tank 1. The constructed heat exchanger 500 may be brazed and integrated together.

Subsequently, the crimped portion 80 and the recess 36 will be described further in detail. As shown in FIG. 3, the crimped tab 86 is extended from an end of the crimped body 82 along the longitudinal axis 50. The crimped tab 86 is bent into the recess 36.

The recess 36 is a rectangular shape defined by four flat surfaces 36 a, 36 b, 36 c, 36 d (FIG. 1). Each of the flat surfaces 36 a, 36 b, 36 c, 36 d is recessed substantially at a right angle relative to the crimped surface 32. The four flat surfaces 36 a, 36 b, 36 c, 36 d include a tank-side latch surface 36 a and three flat surfaces 36 b, 36 c, 36 d. The tank-side latch surface 36 a is substantially flat and faced toward the longitudinal axis 50 of the tank member 10. One of the three flat surfaces (first flat surface) 36 c is opposed to the tank-side latch surface 36 a. Remaining two flat surfaces (second and third flat surfaces) 36 b, 36 d are perpendicular to the tank-side latch surface 36 a and opposed to each other along the longitudinal axis 50. In FIG. 3, only the second flat surface 36 b is shown, and the third flat surface 36 d is omitted. Each of the second and third flat surfaces 36 b, 36 d is substantially perpendicular to the crimped surface 32.

The crimped tabs 86 are crimped on the second and third flat surfaces 36 b, 36 d, respectively. The crimped tab 86 has a base-side latch surface 86 a, which is in contact with the tank-side latch surface 36 a of the tank member 10. The base-side latch surface 86 a is substantially flat and faced to the tank-side latch surface 36 a. In the present configuration, the base member 60 is crimped on the crimped surface 32 of the tank member 10 and is further crimped at the crimped tabs 86 on the recess 36 of the tank member 10.

Both the base-side latch surface 86 a of the crimped tab 86 and the tank-side latch surface 36 a of the tank member 10 are substantially perpendicular to a bent line at which the crimped tab 86 is bent relative to the crimped body 82. In addition, both the base-side latch surface 86 a and the tank-side latch surface 36 a are substantially in parallel with the direction in which the crimped tab 86 extends.

As follows, a common failure mode of a tank 101, which does not have the crimped tabs 86 and the recesses 36, will be described with reference to FIG. 5. FIG. 5 shows the tank 101 when a thermal medium flowing through a tank member 110 applies inner pressure to the tank member 110, as shown by the hollow arrow. The tank member 110 is moved by application of the inner pressure upward in FIG. 5 to bend back a crimped portion 180 of a base member 160 as shown by the round arrow. In such a state, the crimped portion 180 is unbent and slipped around a lateral side 130 of the tank member 110. The present failure mode is dictated by the flexural strength of the crimped portion 180.

To the contrary, according to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, the crimped tabs 86 are crimped on the second and third flat surfaces 36 b, 36 d, respectively. In addition, the crimped tab 86 is in contact with the tank-side latch surface 36 a of the tank member 10 at the base-side latch surface 86 a. Therefore, when high inner pressure is applied to the tank member 10 as shown by the hollow arrow, the crimped tab 86 is pulled rightward in FIG. 4, as shown by the solid straight arrow, to cause the base-side latch surface 86 a to urge the tank-side latch surface 36 a of the recess 36. In this way, the crimped tab 86 is caught on the tank-side latch surface 36 a. That is, the tank-side latch surface 36 a restricts the base-side latch surface 86 a from moving outward, when in contact with the base-side latch surface 86 a. Thus, the crimped tab 86 inhibits the crimped portion 80 from unbending and slipping around the lateral side 30.

The present configuration of FIG. 4 has a failure mode dictated by share strength of the crimped tabs 86. More specifically, in a case where the tank 1 causes a failure, the crimped tabs 86 share to break prior to failure, i.e., unbending of the crimped portion 80. Subsequent to breakage of the crimped tabs 86, the crimped portion 80 is thus unbent from the lateral side 30. Consequently, the tank 1 is further resistive to high inner pressure compared with the tank 101 of FIG. 5 according to the comparative example.

Second Embodiment

As follows, a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 to 7. FIG. 6 shows a tank 201 including a tank member 210 and a base member (core plate) 260. The base member 260 has a base portion 270 and a crimped portion 280. The base portion 270 is dented toward a tank portion 220. Similarly to the first embodiment, the base portion 270 has openings 274 and has a bottom surface adhered with a seal member 290.

The base member 260 has multiple crimped portions 280 arranged along a lateral side 230. Each of the crimped portions 280 is substantially in a T-shape when being viewed from the lateral side 230. The crimped portion 280 has a crimped body 282 and crimped tabs 286. The crimped portion 280 is bent at the crimped body 282 circumferentially along the outer periphery of the lateral side 230. Thus, the crimped portion 280 is crimped on a crimped surface 232 of the lateral side 230. The crimped tabs 286 extend in opposite directions along a longitudinal axis 250.

The lateral side 230 of the base member 260 has multiple protrusions 236 arranged along the longitudinal axis 250. Similarly to the first embodiment, when the tank 201 is manufactured, the T-shaped crimped portions 280 are bent one by one sequentially along the longitudinal axis 50. Thus, the T-shaped crimped portions 280 are sequentially crimped on the crimped surface 232 of the lateral side 230. When the crimped portion 280 is crimped on the crimped surface 232, the crimped tab 286 of the crimped portion 280 is latched on the protrusion 236.

Subsequently, the crimped portion 280 and the protrusion 236 will be described further in detail. As shown in FIG. 7, the protrusion 236 is projected outward from the crimped surface 232 to have a trapezoidal cross section and to define a tank-side latch surface 236 a. The tank-side latch surface 236 a is substantially flat and faced toward the longitudinal axis 250 of the tank member 210. The tank-side latch surface 236 a is raised substantially at a right angle relative to the crimped surface 232. The protrusion 236 has a slant surface 236 b on the opposite side from the tank-side latch surface 236 a. The protrusion 236 has a top surface 236 c between the slant surface 236 b and the tank-side latch surface 236 a. The top surface 236 c is substantially flat and substantially in parallel with the crimped surface 232.

By forming the slant surface 236 b, the protrusion 236 do not obstacle bending of the crimped portion 280 thereby to facilitate bending of the crimped portion 280. By forming the top surface 236 c, the end of the slant surface 236 b is chamfered to facilitate bending of the crimped portion 280.

The crimped tab 286 is extended from an end of the crimped body 282 along the longitudinal axis 250 and is substantially in parallel with the tank-side latch surface 236 a. The crimped tab 286 has a base-side latch surface 286 a, which is substantially flat and faced to the tank-side latch surface 236 a.

Both the base-side latch surface 286 a and the tank-side latch surface 236 a are substantially in parallel with the direction in which the crimped tab 286 extends.

When the crimped portion 280 is crimped on the crimped surface 232, the base-side latch surface 286 a of the crimped tab 286 is latched on the tank-side latch surface 236 a of the protrusion 236.

According to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the crimped tab 286 is in contact with the tank-side latch surface 236 a of the tank member 210 at the base-side latch surface 286 a. Therefore, similarly to the first embodiment, when high inner pressure is applied to the tank member 210, the crimped tab 286 is pulled outward, as shown by the straight solid arrow in FIG. 7, to cause the base-side latch surface 286 a to urge the tank-side latch surface 236 a of the protrusion 236. In this way, the crimped tab 286 is caught on the tank-side latch surface 236 a. That is, the tank-side latch surface 236 a restricts the base-side latch surface 286 a from moving outward. Thus, the crimped tab 286 inhibits the crimped portion 280 from unbending and slipping around the lateral side 230, similarly to the first embodiment.

Other Embodiment

The number of the crimped portion is not limited to two or more as described above, and may be one.

The first embodiment and the second embodiment may be combined with each other to have crimped portions latched on the recess and the protrusion.

The tank-side latch surface may be distant from the base-side latch surface in the beginning and may make contact with the base-side latch surface after application of inner pressure in the tank member.

It should be appreciated that while the processes of the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described herein as including a specific sequence of steps, further alternative embodiments including various other sequences of these steps and/or additional steps not disclosed herein are intended to be within the steps of the present disclosure.

While the present disclosure has been described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not limited to the preferred embodiments and constructions. The present disclosure is intended to cover various modification and equivalent arrangements. In addition, while the various combinations and configurations, which are preferred, other combinations and configurations, including more, less or only a single element, are also within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A tank for a heat exchanger, the tank comprising: a tank member; and a base member having a plurality of crimped portions each being bent along a lateral side of the tank member and crimped on the lateral side, wherein the crimped portions are configured to be latched on at least one of a plurality of recesses of the lateral side or a plurality of protrusions of the lateral side, respectively.
 2. The tank according to claim 1, wherein each of the crimped portions has a base-side latch surface, each of the at least one of the recesses or protrusions has a tank-side latch surface, and the base-side latch surface is in contact with the tank-side latch surface.
 3. The tank according to claim 2, wherein each of the crimped portions is substantially in a T-shape and has a crimped body and crimped tabs, the crimped tabs extend from an end of the crimped body in opposite directions, and each of the crimped tabs defines the base-side latch surface.
 4. The tank according to claim 3, wherein the lateral side has a crimped surface on which the end of the crimped body is crimped, the tank member has the recesses in the crimped surface, each of the recesses is dented inward from the crimped surface to define the tank-side latch surface, and the crimped tabs are bent relative to the crimped body and crimped into the recesses, respectively.
 5. The tank according to claim 4, wherein the tank-side latch surface is recessed relative to the crimped surface and is substantially at a right angle relative to the crimped surface.
 6. The tank according to claim 5, wherein each of the recesses is a rectangular dent defined by the tank-side latch surface, a first flat surface, a second flat surface, and a third flat surface, the first flat surface is opposed to the tank-side latch surface, the second flat surface and the third flat surface are perpendicular to the tank-side latch surface and opposed to each other, each of the second flat surface and the third flat surface is substantially perpendicular to the crimped surface, and the crimped tabs are crimped on the second flat surface and the third flat surface, respectively.
 7. The tank according to claim 6, wherein each of the crimped tabs is bent at a right angle relative to the crimped body.
 8. The tank according to claim 3, wherein the lateral side has a crimped surface on which the end of the crimped body is crimped, the tank member has the protrusions on the lateral side, and each of the protrusions is projected outward from the crimped surface to define the tank-side latch surface.
 9. The tank according to claim 8, wherein the tank-side latch surface is raised substantially at a right angle relative to the crimped surface.
 10. The tank according to claim 9, wherein each of the protrusions has a slant surface on an opposite side from the tank-side latch surface.
 11. The tank according to claim 10, wherein each of the protrusions has a top surface between the slant surface and the tank-side latch surface, and the top surface is substantially flat and substantially in parallel with the crimped surface.
 12. A tank for a heat exchanger, the tank comprising: a tank member having a lateral side; and a base member having a crimped portion being bent circumferentially along the lateral side and crimped on the lateral side, wherein the crimped portion is substantially in a T-shape and has a crimped body and crimped tabs, the crimped tabs extend from an end of the crimped body in opposite directions, the lateral side has a plurality of recesses each defining a tank-side latch surface, which is substantially flat, and each of the crimped tabs has a base-side latch surface, which is substantially flat and faced to the tank-side latch surface.
 13. The tank according to claim 12, wherein the tank-side latch surface is configured to restrict the base-side latch surface from moving outward when in contact with the base-side latch surface.
 14. A tank for a heat exchanger, the tank comprising: a tank member having a lateral side; and a base member having a crimped portion being bent circumferentially along the lateral side and crimped on the lateral side, wherein the crimped portion is substantially in a T-shape and has a crimped body and crimped tabs, the crimped tabs extend from an end of the crimped body in opposite directions, the lateral side has a plurality of protrusions each defining a tank-side latch surface, which is substantially flat, and each of the crimped tabs has a base-side latch surface, which is substantially flat and faced to the tank-side latch surface.
 15. The tank according to claim 14, wherein the tank-side latch surface is configured to restrict the base-side latch surface from moving outward when in contact with the base-side latch surface. 